Black-powder firearms, also known as muzzleloaders, etc., have a long and colorful history going back for several hundred years. In general such firearms have a barrel with a forward end (commonly referred to as the muzzle) that is always open, and an almost closed second end that can receive and hold a charge of black powder (i.e., gunpowder) or its equivalent. When the propellant being used is in the form of loose powder, it must be poured into the barrel every time that the firearm is to be fired. A significant quantity of the black powder is usually carried by the shooter in a flask or similar holder that has a relatively small, funnel-like opening; the narrow opening fosters directional control of the powder as it is being poured into the muzzle end of a barrel that is being held with a generally vertical orientation. After the powder has been placed in the barrel, a bullet whose diameter is usually just slightly less than the diameter of the barrel's bore is placed on top of the powder. (As used herein the word "bullet" will be used in a generic sense, without regard to its shape; hence, it should be appreciated that spherical balls, conical slugs, so-called "minies," sabots and other projectile shapes are all intended to be encompassed by the single word "bullet.") To ensure that there is a tight fit between the bullet and the bore, it is common to at least partially wrap some bullets with a small piece of cloth, commonly referred to as a patch. The patch may be used in an essentially natural condition (i.e., it may be relatively dry) or it may be lubricated in some way--to improve the ease with which the bullet can be pushed down into the barrel with an elongated rod, commonly called a ramrod.
In view of the fact that a ramrod must be used every time that the firearm is to be fired, is is logical for the ramrod to be stored with or carried by the firearm. Usually the storage location is an elongated cavity immediately below and parallel to the firearm's barrel. Such as arrangement is shown in FIG. 1, which is a side elevation view of an antique Harpers Ferry flintlock rifle, many of which were used in the U.S. Civil War. The muzzle for another rifle is shown in FIG. 2, which clearly shows the firearm's bore and the exposed, outer end of a ramrod that is routinely stowed under the barrel. Because of space limitations that are established by the adjacent barrel, both ends of the ramrod must be kept relatively small, and they will typically have a diameter that is about the size of the firearm's bore. Unfortunately, the small ends of a typical ramrod make it hard to use the ramrod in the three ways that a ramrod is commonly used, i.e., as a straight "pusher," a straight "puller," and as a device to apply torque to the end that is inserted into the firearm's bore.
When being used as a straight pusher, the first end of the ramrod is inserted into the firearm's bore until it comes into contact with a bullet that has already been inserted into the bore. A straight longitudinal force is then applied to the bullet by pushing downward on the head of the ramrod (i.e., the exposed or second end of the ramrod). Depending on the relative sizes of the bore and the bullet and the patch, as well as the amount of residue that may have accumulated in the bore from previous shots, the amount of force that is required to properly seat a bullet can vary from mild to severe. And when the shooter is using his or her muzzleloader in hunting, the compelling need to quickly fire a second shot at a deer or the like will often cause a hunter to get excited and push too hard on the head of the ramrod. With ramrods whose elongated bodies are made of wood, there is always a risk that too much longitudinal force will cause the wood to fracture. Even if the ramrod doesn't break and cause the equivalent of a large splinter to be driven into a forearm, a shooter can experience some definite pain on the palm of his or her hand. This is because forcefully striking a ramrod whose head has a diameter of about 3/8 this inch can often apply a pressure on the palm of many pounds per square inch.
Another example of routine use of a ramrod is as a straight puller. It has sometimes happened that a shooter places a first bullet in a bore and then gets distracted by something; he or she may forget that a bullet has already been inserted, and then places a second bullet on top of the first one. The inner end of the barrel is essentially closed, so that neither the first nor the second bullet can be seen. Indeed, the presence of the second bullet will likely be discovered only by observing that the ramrod will not go far enough into the bore during the second tamping action. It then becomes necessary to extract the second bullet--often after it has become wedged in the bottom of the bore by the tamping force applied by the ramrod. (Bullets for black-powder firearms are made of lead, and they are soft enough so that they can be deformed under pressure, which is why a second bullet will not simply fall out of an inverted barrel.) Extraction can usually be accomplished by using a small and generally conical member that is externally threaded (somewhat like a woodscrew) at the first end of an elongated member; a ramrod with an extractor substituted for the bullet-tamping end can serve this purpose nicely. The procedure involves placing the modified ramrod (with the pointed extractor attached thereto) into the bore, bringing it into contact with the second bullet, and rotating the ramrod about its longitudinal axis. With some skill, a reasonable amount of patience, and perhaps a little bit of luck, the generally conical member can be screwed into the second bullet. Then, pulling outward--longitudinally--on the ramrod can usually bring out both the ramrod and the second bullet.
Another situation can arise when a shooter inadvertently pushes a bullet down into a barrel without first putting in a charge of powder as the planned propellant. Creating a spark at the firearm's breech will then have no effect, because there is essentially nothing to ignite. The bullet must then be extracted in the same way that was described above, using an extractor at the forward end of a rod that is essentially as long as the firearm's bore.
If there is difficulty in engaging a stuck bullet with a bullet extractor, it usually is necessary to apply an increased downward force on the bullet, and also apply a significant amount of torque to the elongated member (and its attached extractor). But many people do not have enough gripping force in their hands to grab the exposed end of a narrow cylindrical member and twist it into a stuck piece of lead. Hence, it is sometimes necessary for a hunter to cut short a hunting excursion until he or she can get back to camp where a T-handled extraction tool can be obtained. This can not only take unwanted time out of a hunting trip, it can also lead to personal frustration and aggravation--and perhaps increased blood pressure on the part of the hunter. It would be nice, maybe, to anticipate such a difficulty--and carry a tool box into the field with all of the repair and service tools that might sometime be needed. But there are at least some purists who would look with disdain on anyone who took excessive precautions when going into the field with their muzzleloaders--and weighed themselves down with repair tools and hardware, etc. Such purists might say, "That's not the way Davy Crockett would have done it."
It is entirely possible that there have been people who recognized that it would be better if there could be improvements in dealing with the three conditions described above with respect to ramrods, i.e., the need for easier "pushing-in," improved "pulling-out," and a greater ability to apply torque to a ramrod. But if there were people who recognized these problems at all, they have likely just said to themselves, "Well, that's just what you have to endure when you want to enjoy the sport of shooting muzzleloaders." However, one purpose of this disclosure is to teach that it is not necessary to passively accept the three "problems" described above. This is especially true when it is recognized that the invention described herein can minimize, if not eliminate, the three conditions or problems associated with ramrods of the prior art. It is a goal of this disclosure, therefore, to describe a new configuration for a ramrod in such a way that those skilled in muzzle-loading firearms will fully understand the concept, and will readily appreciate the uses to which it may be put.